[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo
Based on information from the Kennedy Library

Our Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who led the nation in challenging the reliability of electronic voting systems, has been named as one of three individuals who will receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Bowen will be presented with this award by JFK’s daughter Caroline Kennedy and his brother, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 12.

Jennifer Brunner, Secretary of State of Ohio will also receive this award and a special Profile in Courage Award for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to former Mississippi Governor William Winter for his leadership in championing racial equality and educational opportunity in Mississippi.

Announcement of the award was accompanied by the following statement about Bowen from the Kennedy Library:

by Bob Brigham [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

The biggest story of the day is the meltdown with DTS voters in LA. It is so bad that the Obama campaign had to drop an "URGENT" email with phone numbers for their Election Protection lawyers (while Hillary's campaign is issuing statements that there is nothing to be seen, move along...these are not the droids your looking for). But that isn't the only place, the huge DTS surge for Democrats has hit Silicon Valley with another problem. From the Registrar (pdf, h/t to Silence in the comments):

Due to higher-than-expected turnout in today's Presidential Primary Election, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is implementing backup voting procedures to help mitigate potential ballot shortages. The shortage is largely attributed to an unanticipated surge in the number of Decline-to-State (nonpartisan) voters who are choosing to vote a Democratic Party ballot.

Can't quite see how this was "unanticipated" but it is clear that there are lots of people in full C.Y.A. mode today. How are they dealing with it? BYOB, of course!

by California Democratic Party [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

In 2000 and in 2004, we saw what happened when election results are called into question. Citizens across the country reacted with outrage when they realized that their vote might not be counted. That's why, in 2006, California Democrats worked to elect Secretary of State Debra Bowen -- she promised to make sure that in our state, every vote would be protected.  

Bowen has fulfilled that campaign promise. Last year she had experts at the University of California conduct a thorough analysis of California's electronic voting machines. When that review showed the machines could be hacked and results could be changed, Bowen promptly decertified the machines to maintain the integrity of California elections.

So how did Diebold and Sequoia respond to her actions? As you might expect, by putting their PR departments into overdrive. In the days and weeks leading up to today's election, they have waged a media campaign to blame Debra Bowen for election delays, cost overruns, and teen acne.

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

Explanation: New Hampshire House Bill 186, a bill that would have provided for a random recount audit as a check and balance against electronic voting machines, was defeated in the committee of election law by a vote of 9/8. This speech, one of several, was delivered from the floor of the house on Wednesday, January 16, in an effort to overturn the majority committee report of inexpedient to legislate (ITL-kill). It is difficult to overturn a majority committee report, and this attempt failed with a vote of 253/72.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The SF Chron reports on the circulation of a new proposed ballot initiative to end the winner-take-all systemof assigning presidential electoral votes in California, a measurewhich is being backed by Republicans hoping to swing the next electionin favor of a Republican candidate. Democratic National Committee headHoward Dean has come out strongly against the measure, and in thespirit of nonpartisanship, the Governor has expressed his milddisapproval as well.

California Representative Susan Davis is attempting to do for thenation what California Secretary of State Debra Bowen did for the stateby introducing an amendment to an existing election reform bill thatwould ban all DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) voting machines,reports Calitics. Calitics also points out the favorable balance ofCalifornians on the Leadership and Rules Committee, which is overseeingthe bill, thus giving the amendment a leg up.

by Lucas O'Connor [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Brad Blog was all over it yesterday as Susan Davis (CA-53) sought to add an amendment to Rush Holt's Election Reform Bill that would ban all DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) voting machines. The bill finished the day still in committee, so feel free to make some calls today urging support of the amendment.  Target members of the Rules Committee to make sure it gets attached, and (to echo the call from BradBlog) let your own representative know they should insist on a DRE ban before voting for the bill.  BradBlog also notes that the amendment has been endorsed by MoveOn, Verified Voting and VoteTrustUSA.

Davis' office told BradBlog that the amendment was relying on Leadership and the Rules Committee allowing it.  I think you've all met Nancy Pelosi already, you know where to find her.  Louise Slaughter chairs the committee, and California members are Democrats Doris Matsui and Dennis Cardoza, and Republican David Dreier who serves as the ranking minority member of the committee.  Leverage galore Californians.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Lift the Shroud of Secrecy from Electronic Voting Systems and Restore Confidence in Our Elections

By Paul Krekorian
Member
California State Assembly

On November 4, 2008, millions of Californians will go to their polling places to cast their votes using electronic voting machines. By the end of that evening, we will know who will take office as our next President. What we will not know that night – what we may never know with certainty – is whether our votes were in fact properly counted by those electronic voting machines.

After the debacle of the election of 2000 focused the nation’s attention on “hanging chads” in Florida, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, which encouraged the wide use of electronic voting machines. Since then, corporate vendors of these machines, such as Diebold, have actively promoted them throughout the country. Many county registrars are investing heavily in this new technology in an effort to streamline the voting process, and to provide greater opportunity for some disabled citizens to vote independently.